Further to AAVSO Special Notices #81 and #82, Nikolai Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, announced (IAU Circular No. 8898, D. W. E. Green, ed.) that the bright x-ray transient and apparent nova has been assigned the name V598 Puppis [07:05:42.7 -38:14:42 (equinox 2000.0)].
November 19, 2007: Further to AAVSO Special Notice #81, precise coordinates for the optical counterpart of the new X-ray source XMMSL1 J070542.7-381442 [V598 Pup] (Read et al., ATEL 1282) have been determined. The (J2000) coordinates are
RA 07:05:42.51 (+/- 0.05 arcsec) , Dec -38:14:39.3 (+/- 0.08 arcsec)
Coordinates were determined by A. Henden using V-band images supplied by S. Dvorak.
This object has now been entered into the AAVSO Variable Star Index (VSX) as: VSX J070542.5-381439
November 18, 2007: Read et al. (ATEL #1282) report the discovery by XMM-Newton of a very bright new transient, XMMSL1 J070542.7-381442 [Nova Pup 2007 = V598 Pup], located at
December 19, 2007: A.J. Drake et al have reported in A.Tel #1337 on the detection of a bright optical transient in one of the spiral arms of the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/VV 245). The object [SN 2007sr] was at magnitude 12.9 on 2007 December 18. The transient is located at the following coordinates (J2000):
RA: 12:01:52.80 , Dec: -18:58:21.72
They note the object is on the edge of one of the spiral arms, and the brightness is consistent with a supernova at the known distance of the Antennae.
August 24, 2007: The campaign to monitor blazars as described in AAVSO Alert Notice 353 continues, and observations of any and all of the ten targets are welcomed. The VERITAS telescope is currently in standby while the Arizona monsoon season progresses, but the rainy season typically ends in late August or early September. Please observe these objects now to familiarize yourself with the fields and to establish a recent baseline of behavior for future analysis.
October 30, 2007: The campaign to monitor blazars as described in Alert Notice 353 is ongoing, and the triggering thresholds for VERITAS observations have recently been updated by the PI, Dr. Markus Boettcher.
The blazar 1ES 0120+340 (1ES0120+34, AAVSO Designation 0117+33) has recently been seen just above the new triggering threshold of Rc = 17.0, and observations of this source are requested over the next several weeks. 1ES 0120+340 is located at coordinates
September 20, 2007: As announced in AAVSO Alert Notice 358, we are approaching the scheduled HST observing time for omi Cet (AAVSO 0214-03). Observations are currently planned for 2007 September 23, 19:00-23:30 UT. Dr. Margarita Karovska (CfA) and collaborators are using HST to observe Mira AB and study the behavior of the mass flow and mass transfer within this system. Optical observations -- visual and instrumental -- are requested for this campaign.
October 29, 2007: We have been informed by Paula Szkody that HST observations of SDSS074545 have been tentatively scheduled for the night of 2007 October 31/Nov 01 UT (approximate JD 2454405.56). Observations are pending ground-based confirmation that this cataclysmic variable is not in outburst and is thus faint enough to safely observe with HST. This decision will be made on the afternoon of Wednesday, 2007 October 31 UT, and so observations are critically needed during the night of 2007 October 30/31 UT (JD 2454404.5).
November 12, 2007: This is an update to the Request for Observations given in Alert Notice 361, on upcoming Hubble Space Telescope observations of SDSS091908, a cataclysmic variable with a pulsating white dwarf primary.
